The six relative advantages in multichannel retail for three-dimensional virtual worlds and two-dimensional websites

Multichannel retail is now prevalent with retailers and consumers utilizing a number of channels in parallel or in some instances in an interconnected way. There is a degree of understanding on what each channel can offer but the Relative Advantage of each channel in relation to the others is less understood. This research evaluates the Relative Advantage between the three channels of three-dimensional Virtual Worlds, two-dimensional websites and offline retail stores. The consumer’s preferences across the three channels were distinguished across six Relative Advantages. The three channels were then compared across the six Relative Advantages identified. Participants showed a preference for offline and 2D in most situations apart from enjoyment, entertainment, sociable shopping, the ability to reinvent yourself, convenience and institutional trust where the Virtual Worlds were preferred.